Of Ice Cream and Piggy Backs
by Our Bleeding Shadow
Summary: AU. A normal day at the park for Fugaku turns into something more. His day becomes one to remember, spent with the warm-hearted blonde he met near the swings. With the warm feelings the other brings, he begins to develop feelings for the boy. Nothing could go wrong.


**A/N: Okay, so I got a little obsessed with this pairing and **

**On an unrelated note, I shall be checking through and correcting/improving all my other stories (the ones that need it) so some of my work shall be under construction. **

**Words: **5,846

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or its characters, in any way. **

**Please enjoy. ^^ The ending is just added on because I have no life. ._. Honestly. **

**- Our Bleeding Shadow**

* * *

**Of Ice Cream and Piggy Backs**

Voices mingled together, children dashing around the green and apparatus of the park, leaving most their friends to laugh and chase after them with smiles splitting their faces. Birds chirped over head, seeming to enjoy the scene of children running; jumping; falling around the area like overexcited puppies on their first walk. Each person was unaware of the young male sat upon the swing, swinging his legs in silence as he cut himself off from the other kids.

With short black hair that reached his jaw line, framing his pale face and distant coal-black eyes. His face was downcast toward the ground, staring at it as if it was going to open up and swallow him. Ignoring the people around him, Fugaku inhaled deeply, shaking his head to himself as he took note on how simple minded everyone around him was.

They all wanted to waste their productive time gaining scrapes and bruises. Whereas Fugaku wanted to make his father pay attention to him, the old man barely glanced in his direction anymore, too busy striving for the top of all the big businesses. The only way the young Uchiha would be able to grasp his father's attention was to be smarter and become the family heir, to take his father's business in his small, but maturing, hands and shape it into his own enterprise.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Fugaku tried to keep the threatening headache at bay, not needing to deal with one right at that moment. Some kids stopped, looking over at him with curious looks and he recognised a few of them from his class, not that he bothered to befriend any of them. Fugaku's stomach dropped when he saw them whisper to each other, deeming him as one of those 'superior' students, the ones people avoided as they knew they were not _good enough_ to befriend them.

A small tap on his shoulder brought him back from his musings, making the raven turn to see a smaller, blonde boy with the bluest eyes that he'd ever seen. A smile was stretched on the other's face, Fugaku recognised him from one of the younger years at his school, the kid was considered a prodigy of sorts.

The blonde pointed to the swing, giggling lightly, "Are you finished with the swing?" He asked kindly, his voice rather soft, like melted butter. It was warm, making Fugaku shiver faintly, silently standing up from the swing and nodding.

"Uh, yes. I'm finished." He mumbled, blinking at this blonde angel before him as he laughed lightly, taking up the swing Fugaku had just occupied, kicking his legs joyfully. The face of the blonde boy was lit up like a light bulb, his happiness seeming to be contagious as a small smile began to tug at Fugaku's lips.

"You're Fugaku Uchiha, right?" A playful smile graced upon the boy's pink lips, his eyes glittering while he seemed to observe him. Fugaku's throat went dry, nodding slowly, watching the boy nod as he swung lightly, taking in this information.

What had the boy's name been? Mitata, or was it Mugaga? Fugaku continued to wrack his brain for the boy's name, unable to actually pull it up from the depths of his memory - he was sure the boy had been mentioned before. The school's child prodigy, a star example for all.

He reached up, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, the name still out of his grasp and he didn't want to seem rude toward the blonde. He might be valuable to him in the future, he could be a key compartment in the young Uchiha's stride to overtake him within the school. That should get him his father's attention.

The blonde slowed the swing, pausing in his actions before inclining his head toward the other kids that were watching them still, "Are they... Friends of yours?" His curiosity seemed genuine, his azure orbs focused on the group of Fugaku's classmates.

"Oh, them?" The raven jumped, glancing toward them, before shaking his head, "No, just classmates." His dark eyes watched them shift under their gazes then turn away, mumbling to each other awkwardly, not liking the fact they were caught staring.

"Ah, I see. They must be jealous of how smart you are." He grinned, placing the tips of his toes on the ground. The blonde was wearing a white tee, a lime green jacket and brown three-quarter lengths with black and white sneakers upon his feet, a surprisingly casual outfit for someone who was counted as a prodigy. Fugaku thought he'd be wearing more formal clothes, since the older had though the boy had come from a richer family.

"Yeah... Maybe." Scuffing his own black trainers off the floor, Fugaku grumbled under his breath, well aware the bright blue eyes of the prodigy student were on him, watching him in interest with a strong studying look.

"I'm Minato Namikaze, by the way." The bright smile was back, making the taller's heart thump at the mere sight. The name seemed to click in the raven's mind, making him feel a bit dumb for forgetting his name to start with.

"Ah! I see," He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck once again, "I've heard your name mentioned before." That piqued Minato's interest, his eyes glinting as he regarded the new information. Tilting his head toward the front of the park before back to the teen in front of him.

"You have?"

"Yeah. You're the child prodigy that the school boasts about."

A faint pink hue dusted over the blonde's cheeks, his head dropping to stare at the floor almost immediately, his lower lip getting drawn into his mouth. Nibbling on it, Minato swung his legs awkwardly, not sure how to take this information. The blush just made the younger boy seem cute, giving him a look of vulnerability that he didn't have before. It showed him as a modest boy, which Fugaku could only admire, it was hard not to.

"I-I wasn't aware they did that."

"Yeah," Fugaku frowned, shocked the boy had no idea of this, "The school is constantly bragging about having a child prodigy learning there." Sighing, he folded his arms at random, leaning back against the bar of the swing set that Minato was currently sat on, the blonde's face still a light shade of pink.

The younger boy then rubbed his eyes, pouting slightly as he tried to shake off the tingling that ran through him. It was unfamiliar, he wasn't used to being bragged about, so this was rather new.

Unable to resist, the young Uchiha reached out, ruffling the boy's blonde spikes and blinked in surprise when they were soft under his finger tips. He hadn't expected that, but his action had embarrassed Minato more, the young male blinking up at him from the swing in a mix of confusion and appreciation.

"You know... You're the first person that's spoken to me properly." He grinned, jumping off the swing and landing on the ground in a graceful crouch. His smile was proving to be infectious, Fugaku's lips twitching against his will as they tried to form a smile - a _proper _smile, at that.

"I am?" That newly placed situation made Fugaku feel more superior than the boy's classmates, not only was he older but he'd also been the first person to converse with the prodigy, properly.

"Yep!" Fugaku watched the blonde bounce happily, before making a small noise if shock when arms were thrown round his waist and the younger hugged him tightly, "Thank you."

Eyes turned toward them, the whispering from the older's classmates starting up again, which made Fugaku uncomfortable, shifting on the spot with a small frown upon his face. He squirmed in Minato's grasp, coughing awkwardly.

"Uh, Mi-Minato, I need to, uh, go now." Instantly the warmth of the blonde left him, a downcast face peering up at him but not arguing with his request to go which made the young Uchiha swallow uncomfortably, guilt lacing in his stomach. That single expression made him want to stay, to go against his instinct to run from anything that might make him soft and bring him bad publicity in the process.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Fugaku let out a simple 'whoosh' of air, thinking it over _carefully_. He was looking over the blonde with a blank, but caring, expression, seeing the forced smile and hurt flickering within his blue irises.

"Well, we could go and get ice cream." He offered over, finally, seeing Minato's head lift up to stare at him contently, his eyes lighting up. A natural smile spread upon his lips, making his face look like the sun had blessed it. It was mesmerising.

"You mean it?"

"Yes...?" Minato broke out into a grin, jumping excitedly before looking at the teen with a brilliant gleam in his eyes.

"Let's go!"

Fugaku barely had time to respond as the over exciteable blonde had rushed off, only stopping to pause a few feet away and turn to look at him with an expectant gaze. Minato didn't seem to care what people thought of him, just casually brushing off the looks that were shot at him by blatantly ignoring them.

That made Fugaku agitated, after all, a man is only as good as the way he portrays himself in public, silly little comments from jealous onlookers could actually destroy a man's career. Pinching the bridge of his nose to keep back his annoyance, he forced his legs to cooperate and followed the younger.

The smile that graced the unmarred face of the other was dazzling, a few girls - older and younger - nearby were swooning at mere glances at him, giggling to themselves while they observed this obvious angel.

It bugged him slightly how Minato didn't play on his graceful looks to win over people's - mainly girl's - hearts to gain a better self-image, but that just meant that Fugaku had a better chance of beating him in the long run, since he knew what to do from observing his father.

This kid had no knowledge, or care, for the world of business, which shocked him, honestly. How could someone so smart not want to aim for the top? Besides, the young Uchiha swore to obliterate Minato in the future when they were both competing for the top spot where his father was in this current time.

"C'mon, Fu!" Minato called out to him, already near the gates to the park, waving his small hand at him to signal where he was. The nickname was unexpected and surprisingly - to Fugaku - the feeling he got wasn't annoyance but a warm feeling that pooled through his body, causing the blood to rush to his cheeks. A simple _nickname_ had caused him to blush!

Keeping his head down, a feeble attempt to hide the blush, Fugaku hurried in the other's direction, cursing the moment they'd met while he weaved in and out of the other kids until he'd reached him. Raising his coal-black orbs to meet sapphire ones, he was surprised by the warm, friendly look within them as the other grabbed his wrist and tugged him out of the park.

The road was fairly busy, all types of cars flying down them and flashing their bright colours at all the passing people, though none stopped to look. On the opposite side of the road sat the ice cream truck, the window wide open and kids queued to get an ice cream.

Minato giggled in delight, taking a step forward only to have a sharp tug on his arm to pull him back. Yelping, the blonde turned to look at the young Uchiha in confusion, his arm stinging slightly from the pull. His puzzled expression was only met with a stern, concerned one as the older shook his head, gently leading the boy over to the pedestrian crossing.

"That was dangerous, Minato." He told the younger bluntly, shaking his head slower, "You could get hit... You're only small, you could die if you get hit."

The blonde then frowned, pouting slightly as hid eyes teared up, "I'm sorry..." He whimpered, hanging his head dejectedly, the thought that he'd angered Fugaku upsetting him greatly, as the older could see.

"I'm _not _angry. I was just worried."

"You were?" The blue eyes were lifted to look at his face, the both of them sparkling expectantly.

"Yes... You are my," He paused, his brow furrowing before he sighed, realising the thing he'd tried to prevent had happened, "Friend."

"R-Really?" Shock appeared on the younger's face, blinking at him with a small sceptical look settling on his features.

The Uchiha sighed heavily, pursing his lips grumpily, "Don't look at me like that, Minato. I know I have no friends and I stay away from making them, but I consider you my friend." Forcing a small, shaky smile onto his face to prove his point to the boy.

"You're serious?" The surprise on the younger's face was burned into Fugaku's mind, making him feel slightly bad about pushing so many people away. A faint blush had spread on the boy's flawless skin, leaving the blushing boy to squirm under the steely gaze of the older.

"Yes. I'm serious!" He whined, frowning when he realised that the whine had slipped into his voice without his consent, making him feel a little stupid.

"O-Oh. Y-You're my first friend," Minato chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck to ease his discomfort, "No one else wants to."

He couldn't help it, his mouth dropped open, looking at Minato in shock, _no one _wanted to be his friend? _No one_?! There had to be someone besides him, Minato was attractive - he'd give him that - and his joyful attitude was infectious as was everything else about him. There was a gold light around him beckoning people in almost immediately, there was nothing wrong with him as far as Fugaku could see. Minato was - begrudgingly for Fugaku - the pique of perfection.

He completely fell silent as they crossed over the black and white stripes and stopped at back of the line for the ice cream truck, the both of them starting to determine what they wanted. A look of awe was brilliantly shining on the blonde's face, making it hard not to sneak glances at him just to stare in admiration of it.

Coughing into his hand, the raven slipped the wallet out of his pocket, catching the sight of Minato pulling change out if his pocket and laughed lightly, reaching across. Taking a hold of the small wrist, he lowered it, gaining a puzzled look thrown his way as he shook his head and held up the wallet.

"I'll pay." A genuine smile curving onto his lips, making the younger do a double take, a blush taking over his face like a wildfire. Shaking his head, the blonde opened his mouth to protest, "No, Nato, I'm paying."

The stern tone in his voice caused the boy to slowly close his mouth, his attempt to argue flying out of the window. Fugaku wasn't going to back down, he knew that. The stern glint that flickered in the jet-black orbs gave that much away, at least. They walked up to the window of the truck, peering up at the blonde woman that stood there, smiling at them expectantly.

"What can I get you?" She asked them, her hazel eyes glittering as she looked from one to the other. Fugaku glanced at the window, checking over the images of each different ice creams before smiling faintly.

"I'd like a traditional cone with a flake, please." He looked over at Minato, noticing the small blonde was pointing at the bubblegum ice lolly, a hopeful look glinting in his eyes as he turned his head toward Fugaku, "And a bubblegum ice lolly."

The woman nodded, getting the ice lolly first and passing it to Minato with a warm smile before getting the cone. She turned to the ice cream machine, positioning the cone beneath before pulling the lever and watching the vanilla ice cream slowly fill the cone and rounded it off in a swirly spike.

After doing so, she shoved the flake in, turning to him, "Any sauces?" She asked, "We have chocolate, strawberry, raspberry or toffee." Using her other hand, she signalled to them, seeming to watch him with a curious look.

"Oh, uhm, I don't want one, thank you." He stated, smiling awkwardly as she nodded, flashing him a grin before handing him his ice cream before reciting the price and he handed over the money for them. He waited for his change before elbowing Minato, motioning back over to the park, his eyes fixated on the empty park bench near the entrance.

His azure eyes following Fugaku's gaze, Minato gave a brief nod before letting the older male lead the way, following after him with a bright beam upon his face. Struggling with the wrapper, Minato was having trouble freeing his bubblegum flavoured treat from the casing, his tongue poking out while he concentrated. After freeing it, Minato cheered quietly, pulling the lolly out by the wooden stick, giving the treat a lick.

Fugaku turned, seeing the pink appendage slip out of his mouth, licking over the surface of the blue-coloured ice lolly. His stomach knotted, a blush gracing his cheeks as he got a weird fluttery feeling inside his stomach. There was also the fact that his heart throughout it was funny to start running a marathon, leaving him feeling all hot and bothered.

The young Uchiha was no fool, he knew the signs of blooming feelings, 'crushes' as girl's dubbed them, that people developed on certain people after only seeing them once, sometimes twice, before. Unfortunately, Fugaku was developing an unhealthy infatuation with Minato, a boy that could potentially harm his career in the future.

Pausing at the edge of the crossing, Fugaku extended his arm, stopping the blonde from almost killing himself a second time that day. Only when the cars had stopped to allow them across did he remove his arm to allow Minato to continue walking.

Much to Fugaku's growing pleasure, Minato was walking along beside him, licking and sucking at his lolly without a single care in the world, but the raven wasn't that stupid to know what his growing feelings meant, nor was he too young that didn't know how two people proved their love to one another, his friend, on the other hand, was too young, just about.

Upon reaching the bench, Minato took up a seat, swinging his legs, preoccupied with eating his ice lolly and only looked up when Fugaku took up a space on the bench beside him. Fugaku liked up a few bits of the ice cream that were dribbling down, glancing at Minato secretly as someone whistled a fair bit of a distance away.

The blonde whipped his head round, trying to spot the source of the sound, before looking at Fugaku, smiling brightly. He continued to swing his leg, biting a chunk off of the lolly with a, surprisingly, thoughtful look upon his face.

"Fu, do you usually come to the park?" Fugaku jumped, looking at him when the question was spoken.

"No, uh, not usually. Just a few times when my father has meetings."

"Oh. What does your father do?"

"He's a business man, head of the Uchiha Corporation." Minato's eyes widened, disbelief crossing on his face.

"R-Really? I assumed you were related to him, but... I didn't know you were Head Uchiha's son!" The blonde jumped up, looking at him with wide, cerulean eyes, his hand tightening around his the wooden stick of his ice lolly, his eyes peering at him with an expectant look.

Fugaku nodded slowly, "Yeah. I'm his son." He mumbled, biting into the cone of his ice cream and savouring the chills that ran down his spine under the intense blazing of the sun's heat. Noting the sense of appreciation and admiration in the boy's eyes, Fugaku felt his heart warm at the sight.

Minato nodded, taking another bite of his ice lolly as the two of them lapsed into silence, finding other things to stare at other then making awkward eye contact. The voices around them seemed to increase in noise when their voices stopped, drowning out the little reassuring sounds for Fugaku - like the younger's soft breathing.

After a few minutes, the two boys had finished their cold treats, looking at each other as they tried to get the last reminisces of the flavours, licking their lips before breaking out in twin moments of laughter about how dopey the other looked while doing so.

It was almost amusing how fast Fugaku found himself falling for the other. _Almost_. It was mostly frightening for him, since when his father had pre-briefed him about 'love' and its consequences he'd lead the young Uchiha to believe it would be with a pretty girl, who'd he'd settle with and continue in the family. He had not been expecting Minato, of all people, the young boy was a male and seemed nothing like his 'type' as his father had labelled for him to have one.

Minato was not 'pretty' nor 'sophisticated', he was 'adorable' and 'excitable', which was what his father had warned him to stray from. They tend to cause the most damage to a businessman's career. The recollection of his father's words made the raven's heart ache, he just wanted to throw the 'type' away and hold Minato close to him.

Resisting the urge, Fugaku gritted his back teeth, completely unaware of the confused stare that his newly obtained friend was giving him as he waved his hand quickly to get his attention.

"Fu~ Fugaku?" He called out to him, snapping the older male out of it instantly, especially when Fugaku became aware of Minato's hand on his shoulder, giving him light shakes to gain his attention once more, "You're spacing out!" He exclaimed.

"Oh, uh, right." Fugaku laughed, his voice sheepish and embarrassed that he had. To space out meant to be distracted, his father said distractions were bad. Unfortunately, Minato was his distraction, but he didn't want to get rid of him.

"You spaced out," Minato repeated, biting his lip as he pondered over it before looking up at the sky, "What were you thinking about?"

Fugaku swallowed nervously, did he want to tell the younger that? To risk him getting hurt by his 'friend's' thoughts? He couldn't do it, forcing a small smile, he turned his head toward him, chuckling softly, "Oh, you know... Just about what we can do now." Great, now he'd resulted to _lying _through his teeth. That would really annoy his mother if she ever found out.

Twin sapphire orbs stayed trained on him, a frown taking up the angelic features as Fugaku fed him a lie before a caring smile slipped onto his face, "Fu, I can tell you're lying to me. There's a look of guilt in your eyes, but you could have just said you didn't want me to know." Each word made Fugaku realise how special the smaller boy really was, the realisation pooling in his gut.

Ignoring his teachings for a few minutes, a grin split his face - a genuine grin - and he launched himself forward, encasing the blonde in a warm hug which surprised both him and the victim of his affection, who only giggled and hugged him back.

"We should go play in the Nature Reserve!" Minato suggested, jumping up and turning to the young Uchiha with a look upon his face that just radiated joy. Pondering on it, Fugaku seemed to think over the idea before sighing, giving a soft nod.

"Sure, lead the way." He got to his feet, only to be startled by a hand clasping his wrist as the blonde began to drag him toward the Nature Reserve with purpose in every step. The urge to actually taste those pink lips was starting to grow, Fugaku's tongue slipping out to wet his own in anticipation. Grumbling, he quickly reminded himself Minato was too young to be taken advantage of, too kind too. Then he paused, what if some creep decided to try and make a move on the boy, Minato was too kind to actually stop them, not to mention too naive at his current age to understand what was happening.

Shuddering at the thought of the blonde being held captive as some sick person did what they pleased, Fugaku looked at Minato feeling the need to protect him no matter what. He was lucky that his father had briefed him at a young age, but Minato still seemed pretty much un-briefed about the dangers of the outside world.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when he walked smack-bang into the smaller, who'd stopped at the entrance of the Nature Reserve, his azure eyes looking at the trees with a dopey smile. He stumbled forward once he was collided with, turning to look at his companion with a soft frown.

"Fu, you're distracted." He commented, exciting a puzzled expression from the older before he was pulled into him, once again trapped in the other's embrace, "Uh, Fu?" Shock was rocketing through his body, illuminating how awkward this was for him since the other was trembling slightly.

"Minato, promise me something,"

"What?"

"If anyone tells you to do something or touch something that doesn't seem right then don't, promise me!"

"I... Promise?" Fugaku nodded shakily, looking up at the confused look upon Minato's features as he blinked at the older in bewilderment, not expecting the other's actions.

"Good. I don't want horrible people to hurt you." A soft blush flittered onto the other's cheeks as the young Uchiha spoke, his heart fluttering at the words; he buried his face into the older's shoulder in embarrassment. Minato stayed like that, startling the young Uchiha, but he truly didn't mind.

"Horrible people will hurt me?" The blobde's voive was muffled due to him speaking into Fugaku's shoulder as the older paused, giving a slow nod.

"Yeah. They tend to like cute kids." He frowned, his grip tightening on the smaller form; Minato's head whipped up, looking at Fugaku straight in the eyes with a look of shock on his face, slowly turning over what the raven had just said with a blush upon his face, his cheeks turning back to that dusty, light pink.

"You think I'm cute?"

Fugaku's face turned beet red, "I-I, uh, I'd be lying if I said no." He responded, biting down on his tongue as he waited for the other to flip and call him a 'creep' or something along those lines. Instead, he was met with a soft kiss on his cheek, before the other squirmed out of his hold, taking off into the Reserve with a small smile on his face. His cheek tingled where the younger's lips had touched, Fugaku reaching his hand up to brush his fingers over it, glad they were hidden from the view of the park.

Minato had just _kissed_ him like it was the most _casual _thing to do! The boy's face was still red as he stumbled after his friend, his heart all a-flutter at the mere memory of it. If that had felt magic, how would _actually_ kissing him feel? Shaking the thought from his mind, Fugaku hurried to catch up with a figure in front, shooting a smile when he reached his blonde.

He obtained a smile back in response, Minato not obviously fussed about the kiss, though Fugaku was all flustered about it. Giggling, he spun round, gripping the older's arm with a pleasing look in his cerulean eyes, his touch sents sparks shooting up the other's arm.

"Fu, can I have a piggy back?" His voice was sweet, not a fake sweet tone either, he was generally asking sweetly if he could have a piggy back from the other, a gleam in his eyes.

"Sure!" Fugaku was grateful for even an inch of prolonged contact with the other, besides he really wanted to be a good friend toward Minato, and if he wanted a piggy back, then Fugaku was going to give him one.

Crouching down, he let Minato climb up onto his back, using his hands to secure him when the younger was in position.

"This is going to be the best!" Minato giggled, his arms hanging over Fugaku's shoulders and joined firmly in front of the older's neck, thankfully not putting pressure on his throat. Smiling the young Uchiha adjusted him, looking around for somewhere to go before walking in that direction.

The blonde didn't even seem to care, physically, where they were going, giggling happily. Each giggle sent a flurry of shivers through him, each one striking him in his heart. He could feel the boy nuzzling his nose into the back of his hair, which didn't creep the older out, surprisingly, he just blushed and felt his embarrassment rise.

"Your hair smells nice," Minato mumbled, giggling again, "It's so soft too!" He buried his nose into Fugaku's raven tresses once again. He didn't seem to care how it made him look. Fugaku laughed softly, bouncing the blonde, making him cry out in shock and clung on tighter for some reinforcement to make sure he didn't end up on his back upon the ground.

"Fu! That scared me!" He scolded, listening to the older boy laugh to himself, stepping over do scared branches and patches of growing mushrooms. Whereas Fugaku just found it highly amusing.

"Don't be a baby. I wouldn't have let you fall." The young Uchiha taunted, which only made the small blonde giggle in happiness, content to cling on as tightly as he could. This was going to be the day Fugaku treasured above all the rest, one he was going to rember forever.

* * *

The city was busy on this mid day in June, leaving a very annoyed Uchiha to roam the street. The sun shone down upon the business suit he wore, his face a grim mask as he took another sip from the Starbucks coffee held tightly within his left hand. In his right hand, he held a brief case that signalled that he should be on his way somewhere important but when he turned down the secluded path to the cemetery, it threw away any 'overly important' thoughts.

Fugaku had done it, reached the head of the business branch, taken his father's seat, but the old man still never payed attention to him while growing up. He'd been deemed worthless and unable to do anything correctly without bringing shame to the Uchiha name because of his little show that day at the park. Clenching his right hand tighter around the handle of his briefcase, he shook his head, clearing his mind of any sour thoughts as he weaved and out of the graves.

Though Minato had been his first love, he'd married a woman of outstanding beauty and now had two kids, but that marriage was forced and it hurt his heart everytime he managed to remember the hurt on a Minato's face once he broke the news to him. Fugaku had been bordering twenty two years of age, but Minato had only just turned nineteen - it was too soon.

Then Minato had met her, Kushina, a bubbly woman with the anger of an active volcano. They had not been married but they went on to have a son around the time his second son was born. It was some time after his child that their child was born. There was problems at birth and Kushina died, leaving Minato to raise their baby alone.

Fugaku sighed, stepping over loose weeds, coming to a stop in front of the one gravestone that he came to see, kneeling down in front of it as he reached out, brushing his fingers over the stone writing.

'Minato Namikaze. Loving father, lover and friend. Died giving his life to protect the ones he loved, may he rest in peace.'

Tears brewed in the raven's eyes, his fingers curling against the stone in a feeble attempt to reach to his long lost love. He slowly shook his head, sighing shakily, the tears threatening to spill down his face in giant streams.

Minato had died saving his son's life. The kid had ran across the road to get ice cream and Minato had spotted the truck. He ran across, just managing to push the child onto the other pavement before the truck collided with him. He'd died on impact.

"Nato, why did you have to go?" He croaked out, pressing his palm flat out upon the stone, "I need you now... More than ever."

He drew in a shaky breath, moving close enough to rest his forehead against the grave, his eyes unforgivingly spilling tears.

"Everytime someone mentions you, or says that you should still be here, I-I... I get this horrible pain in my chest, a dull ache that won't fade. I _need _you." He closed his eyes, flashbacks sprinting through his mind and overcoming his thoughts, "I can't go a day without remembering the day we met, or the day I ruined everything... I can never take those back..."

He felt pressure on his shoulder, but when he turned the Uchiha found nothing there, "I can never let you know I'm sorry! I'm so, _so _sorry! I miss you but... I can never hold you again!"

Breaking out into a fit of sobs, Fugaku clung to the grave, mirroring how he used to cling to his blonde angel after he had a particularly bad argument with his father. There was more pressure on his shoulder, as if a hand was squeezing it and he peered up, his eyes widening as he saw the same sapphire blue eyes staring down at him and a sad smile upon those peach lips. Tears shimmered like diamonds as they rolled down the ivory skin, leaving Fugaku to stare in shock and in gratefulness.

"I love you, Nato. I love you..."

**- F I N -**


End file.
